Morris Minor Owners Club

Sarah has once again failed her MOT badly on underbody rot (one of the crossmember ends is rotten, holes in chassis legs, spring hangers, etc). The garage where I had her tested want about £500 ex VAT to repair it. I had to spend a similar amount last year on body repairs and I'm getting a bit sick of it!

I noticed that in Minor Matters there's a company called Staffordshire Minors who offer a "complete floor replacement, including sills, box plates, spring hangers, etc" for £999, with no VAT charged. It also says you get a 5 year guarantee. I'm tempted to send the car off to them to have this done so hopefully it'll then last a while.

However it does seem very cheap. I'm not after a top-quality concours job, just something that'll last a while so I don't get continuing MOT grief year on year. Has anyone else used this service? If so or anyone has any other comments, could you please message me.

Thanks.

Can't comment on the company you suggest but i have just purchased a great little 2 door saloon from Minor Services situated just outside Ely , Cambridgeshire and his work is second to none.The floor , sills, boxing plates and whole underside has been restored to a very high standard and all guaranteed for six years .He advertises in the club magazine .If the underside of your car is as bad as it sounds it may pay to bite the bullet and have the whole lot done in one go (expensive as it is ) but then you have a great basis to work from.As always with these things i guess it pays to shop around and get a few suggestions but we are well chuffed with our little Moggie it's the most solid car ive ever owned!! Good luck Darren

Hi Darren,

The chap who I bought the car off (nearly 4 years ago) bought a restored convertible from Minor Services and was very pleased with it too. The idea of going for this underbody rebuild would, as you say, to be to start afresh with the underside so I don't have any more head (and wallet) aches at the MOT for a good few years. The reason I was attracted to Staffordshire Minors doing the work is that they quote a price of £999 all in, which is just about affordable for me. I don't know what the going rate would be from other traders but I assume it would be much more?

Seems very cheap for a pro body shop. Must be a v small business if not registered for vat, either that or you buy the parts ,which is a route favoured by a few garages who wish to keep under the VAT radar. Ask to see previous work, hourly rate, and how they do the job. I'd want to see pics of the build process they employ before dropping the car off. Remember cheap is not always the most wise move, in this game you get what you pay for. If you are happy when you have seen any of the above then go for it as its a bargain.

Hi Jonathon, thanks for your input.

I thought it was unusually cheap too, which although is what attracted me did set a few alarm bells ringing. Out of interest what sort of figure would you charge for a complete underbody rebuild, and what would you say would be the average cost from a specialist? Interesting what you say about the VAT registry - I'll have to ask them about the parts supply, as that would obviously add quite a bit to the cost.

Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to see any previous work as I live in Devon and my only forms of transport are a Minor with a weeks MOT and a 250cc motorbike! The ad says that all the work is carried out on a roll-over jig - I assume this is a good thing?

To be honest I wouldn't be expecting a first-class job in terms of tidyness for that sort of money, just something safe that will last for a good few years. The fact they guarantee it for 5 years does ease my mind a little, although I'd like to see the T&Cs of the guarantee. At the rate I'm shelling out for repairs at the moment I'd spend that grand in 2 or 3 years on little bits of welding, which is why I thought it might be more cost-effective to have it all done now at a reasonable price.

If you can't visit them (which would be best) then ask them for some pictures of a current work-in -progress - and ask for a few recent customers so you can ask them how satisfied they are with the work. Roll over jig would indeed be necessary.

complete floor replacement, including sills, box plates, spring hangers, etc

I've got to point out that this description does not include the cross member or chassis legs
Also the floor and sills have to have good metal to join to. The inner arches, flitch and rear seat panel could all be affected by corrosion. Factor all these in as 'unavoidable additions' and you may see that quote rise considerably.
I'd give them a call to make sure.

I've just had the back end of my 1964 Morris 1000 saloon rebuilt here. A one man band who did a very good job for a reasonable price.

A roll over jig is not part and parcel of doing a good job. We used to use them but now find a 4 post ramp a much better solution as it can be adapted to use as a jig, and its easy to work around. If you are any good at welding it doesn't really matter if you are working under the car or its on its side.
If it were my money and the job could be divided into sections then I'd be tempted to have the best possible job done over a few sessions rather than an okay job on the cheap. Having said this I have not seen their work so I pass judgement on the quality. Peetee raises a valid point about the surrounding areas, this can often be unseen but can cause the costs to spiral as you often only initially see the tip of the iceberg.
I'll gladly give you an estimate of how I'd approach your required work, if you can send some pics, but I know now that you could treble this at least.

£999?
Blimey, I might take mine up north to pottery country!

That seems very cheap, especially if it includes inner sills, boxing plates and all the associated guff.
As long as its solid I shouldn't worry to much about the 'finishing' as you can do this yourself anyway.
Cheaper to buy your own waxoyl and paint (if necessary) rather than include it in the cost at a bodyshop.

Just cos someone does cheep work does not mean it will be sub-standard.
Back in 1997 when the Traveller I now own was restored by MSM (John Merret) he was only charging £18/hour labour. The work done was both chassis legs, completely new floor and all four wings (all Henric Panels)
All woodwork was replaced, and car re-sprayed. New engine and gearbox, disc brake conversion, all new suspension components, tele damper conversion front and rear. 11 Years on, and the floor/sills are still solid, due to excellent welding, seam sealing, and anti rust paint protection. He also replaced most of the interior. Total cost to previous owner £7,800

The paint job wasn't brilliant, but the resto work done is truly top notch.
Mid Sussex Minors are still trading, and I would recommend them to anyone in that area.

Right, I've just phoned them up and spoke to a really helpful guy there.

Basically, the figure of £999 does not include the front or rear chassis legs, but does include the crossmember and all sills and floors, etc. Unfortunately the front and rear chassis legs are where some of the problems are on my car. The guy who I spoke to said that to do one of the front and one of the rear legs as well would cost about £1400, which sadly is more than I can afford at the moment.

Therefore I'm just going to have it repaired by the MOT garage for this year and try and save up enough to have it done next year.

Don't think anyone was saying that the Guy would do substandard work, just warning of potential pitfalls.
John at MSM is a top guy, and knows minors inside out, and produces good work. Unfortunately geographical location , rates rent, staff etc oten dictates the charges that the bodyshop need to charge. Its often the case that the smaller garage who might well charge less per hour will make more profit than the larger concerns.

jonathon wrote:......, in this game you get what you pay for.

Unfortunately not always Jonathon, but otherwise sound advice

Aye, there are always exceptions